James Bond Gadgets



    107 years ago, on the same warm May day, a boy was born in the family of British politician Valentine Fleming, who was named Ian (or, more precisely, Ian - Ian). 45 years later, he will publish the first work from the cycle about the most elegant and charismatic spy of all time - James Bond, Agent 007. And for more than 60 years, the world has been reading books with rapture and watching films about the adventures of the brave British in the service of Her Majesty.

    An important component of the success of Fleming's works was the fact that Bond uses all kinds of high-tech gadgets. This attracted the interest of the broadest sections of the population, including technologists. Over time, all these high-tech toys, dangerous and not too much, became Agent 007's business card. And on Jan Fleming's birthday, we decided to recall the most interesting gadgets that James Bond used.

    Dr. No (1962)


    Dosimeter based on Geiger counter.



    The first gadget that appeared in the films of Bond. Although this box generally hardly meets the concept of "gadget". But make a discount, this is the beginning of the 1960s, the elemental base was very, very different. But the design of the controls of this unit is made just in the spirit of the fashion of that time, which gives a special charm.

    From Russia with love (From Russia with love), 1963


    Wristwatch, an



    interesting idea. On the one hand, you can, without any suspicion, have a noose at hand, which you can get out very quickly. But there are some doubts about usability. It is anatomically unnatural for us to simultaneously engage the wrist of one hand and the wrist of the other. But everything is decided by training.

    Pager



    For 1963 - a thing of the past. But modern youth, the massive use of pagers has not caught. True, the bond unit had only a sound signal function, then there was no talk of any display and display of text.

    Car-based mobile phone



    The pager immediately fades against the background of this device. Your phone in the car! Incredibly cool! It will be many more years before wealthy customers will have access to mobile phones installed in the car.

    Detector of telephone "bugs"



    A simple device designed to detect wiretapping installed in the phone. The design is all in the same style of the sixties.

    Camera with built-in recorder The



    recorder “a la 60s” was, by modern standards, a completely non-pocket-sized tape recorder. Although in those days it was a miracle of minimalism, given the built-in tape recorder in the body of a full-fledged camera.

    Poisoned Spike in Boot



    It can hardly be called a gadget, perhaps it would be more correct to say “tool”. If you click on the heels, then a steel spike with poison spread from the toe of the right boot. When poison enters the victim’s skin or blood, she only has 12 seconds to live.

    LEKTOR Decoder The decryptor



    Bond is hunting for. It looks like a typewriter and is equipped with 24 character and 16 code keys. According to the plot, LEKTOR is able to decrypt top-secret Soviet programs.

    Goldfinger (1964)


    There



    were two “Beacons” for tracking the location of Devices. The larger one allowed Bond to chase the villain's car, guided by the display hidden in his own Aston Martin DB5. Despite the fact that the development of GPS will be initiated only after 9 years, the Big Lighthouse has a range of 240 km. The Little Lighthouse has a more modest "combat radius."

    Ball Lightning (Thunderball), 1965


    Infrared camera



    In those days, it was possible to capture the image of the surrounding world only on film with a photosensitive layer. There were a great many films, negative color and black and white, reversible (slide) and special. The latter also included films with enhanced sensitivity in the red part of the spectrum. When using special filters, they allowed photographing in the infrared range, which gave a specific image. By the way, Soviet children had an urban myth that if you photograph a person on an X-ray film, then in the picture he will turn out naked, without clothes. Eh, if that were true ... So, Bond had a camera that allowed him to shoot in complete darkness on infrared film, in series of up to 8 pictures.

    Jetpack



    The coolest thing, even in modern times. In the film, this device is able to carry a person 600 meters or hang in the air for 4 minutes.

    Pocket device for underwater breathing



    It is enough to hold the mouthpiece with your teeth, and you can briefly imagine yourself Ichthyander. Or the Little Mermaid, as you like. Thanks to two gas cartridges, a respiratory mixture is formed, which lasts for 4 minutes.

    Radioactive Beacon for Location Tracking



    Unlike the gadgets from the previous film, this weakly radioactive capsule could be swallowed, and then you could be tracked using a certain scanner. Let us leave aside the questions regarding the necessary radiation power, the distance in the atmosphere and human tissues of alpha, beta, and gamma particles, as well as the mysterious scanner design.

    Underwater mover



    Although this is not a gadget in the classical sense, it is impossible to pass by it, just like by a satchel. Structurally, the mover was a scuba gear with an additional massive cylinder of compressed air. When the valve was opened and air was ejected from the nozzle, a reactive effect occurred, which allowed Agent 007 to move quite quickly under water. Speed ​​and duration are unknown.

    You only live twice (1967)


    Device for determining combinations of safe locks



    Dream of a bear cub. When you rotate the dial, the lights on the device light up. If you click on them, the device displays the corresponding numerical combination. Of course, it would be better to immediately give out the necessary numbers, without an intermediate stage with bulbs, but it would be too simple and not so cool.

    Diamonds are forever, 1971


    Voice-changing device



    This tape recorder with additional functions made it possible to modify the sound of the voice so that it became like the voice of another person. Pay attention to this touching font on the light bulb block.

    Floating Balloon





    This device is based on an interesting idea. Bond was dumped inside this ball from an airplane near the oil rig, where the vile enemy sat, and then ... walked inside this ball through the water, like a dry land. Having reached the place, he unzipped the zipper, got out and defeated everyone.

    Live and let die (1973)


    Electronic watches



    Nowadays, ordinary electronic watches look like a primitive device, and more than 40 years ago it was an accessory for those who are at the forefront of technological progress.

    The





    Rolex electromagnetic wristwatch once again appeared on Bond's hand. This time the watch was a mega-gadget: when a button was pressed, an electromagnetic field was so strong that it could reflect flying bullets. Or attract steel objects to you. But this seemed to the authors not enough: the clock could also be turned into a small circular saw!

    Cigarette lighter-radio transmitter



    In a Bond car, under the guise of a normal harmless cigarette lighter, a radio transmitter was hiding. Details are silent.

    Bug detector



    A new model of the bug detector, this time to search them all over the room. The design has undergone significant changes compared to the previous detector.

    Radio



    brush Another bizarre idea: a small radio transmitter was built into the hair brush. It looks pretty ridiculous, especially when combined with a cigarette lighter.

    Gun firing bullets with compressed air





    Initially, this device was intended to deal with sharks, while Bond gets to his destination. However, then Agent 007 completely wildly kills the villain during an underwater fight: he forces him to swallow a bullet with compressed air, due to which he swells (!) And bursts (!!). To which then Bond will say: "He always had a swollen conceit." Solid black humor.

    The Man with the Golden Gun, 1974


    Sunlight converter (Solex agitator)



    This device was necessary for the process of converting sunlight into electricity. Do not ask how. The technology was developed by a British scientist (s).

    The spy who loved me, 1977


    A clock with a built-in telegraph It



    was already impossible to surprise the viewer with an electronic clock. Something new, unusual was required. As a result, the new Bond watches were equipped with a device that prints text messages received over the air.

    Microfilm Viewer



    In the last century, microfilms have been very popular in spy environments. They were a fine-grained film, which was shot with special cameras with a very small frame size. This allowed a large amount of visual information to fit per unit area of ​​the film. Naturally, to view the tiny frames you had to use a magnifying glass. Bond just turned out to have such a device, assembled from a cigarette pack and a lighter.

    Lunar Racer (Moonraker), 1979


    A device for firing mini-darts.





    It was worn like a wristwatch. And the shot was fired due to registration of nerve impulses when Bond bent his arm in his wrist. Darts were of two types: ordinary and with potassium cyanide. Very cute gadget.

    Exploding wristwatch



    Simple and unpretentious: the lower part contains a compressed disk of explosives. If you really need to, then you can blow up something small.

    Mini-



    camera A tiny camera that shoots on a narrow film.

    Another device for determining combinations of safe locks



    A more advanced and compact model that fits in a pack of cigarettes. The device uses X-rays to scan the lock of the safe.

    For your eyes only, 1981


    Three-dimensional identigraph (3D Identigraph)



    According to the plot, this is an experimental device in which you can add the signs of the right person, and it looks for matches on the databases of the special services of several countries of the world. When it finds, it prints the "portrait" of the wanted person. The richness of the graphics and the potential effectiveness of the device can be estimated from the screenshot.

    Hybrid



    Clock Radio This watch displayed the time both by hands and on the luminous LCD. But the chip was different: a radio transmitter for voice communication was built into the gadget. Now this is quite a modern approach to compactness.

    Octopussy (1983)


    Watch with a tracker



    This time a tracker was built into an electronic watch of an unusual design, which allows you to track the movement of “beacons”. Great progress, and before that, for this, the device had to be built into the car panel. By the way, the “beacons” themselves also greatly decreased in size, now they have to be installed with tweezers.



    Acid pen A



    fountain pen with a gold pen, not filled with ink, but with a mixture of concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids. This hellish gadget was intended to dissolve metal objects. For example, to escape from captivity.

    Clock with color LCD screen





    This is a conversation, this is a real breakthrough! A completely modern approach to miniaturization (and content selection). On these Bond watches, images from miniature cameras were broadcast.

    A view to a kill, 1985


    Microchip Detector The



    gadget was used to search for a microchip buried under snow. The principle of the device was based on the fact that microchips have increased electrical resistance.

    Detector of bugs in the form of an electric shaver



    From the point of view of miniature - a step back. Could at least put a detector in the lighter after the color TV in the clock.

    Polarizing Sunglasses



    Thanks to the rotation of the filters built into the glasses, Bond was able to see what was happening behind the tinted glass in the window of the house. A very questionable solution from an optical point of view.

    A camera in a ring.





    Here's a super miniature spy gadget. It would be interesting to see the process of charging the film.

    Observing robot



    The radio-controlled car equipped with a video camera and a rotary "head". The design is very reminiscent of humanoid robots, which they saw years in the sixties.

    The sparks from the eyes (The living daylights), 1987


    Multifunctional keychain







    Firstly, if the keyring was whistled with a code combination of sounds, it could release a portion of gas, which disoriented the inhaler for half a minute. Also on the keychain hung a master key, which opens 90% of the locks in the world. As a result, Bond hooked the key chain to the statue with a magnet, howled like a wolf and the key chain exploded.

    License to kill, 1989


    Laser camera



    This gadget wasn’t used by Bond, but we cannot help but talk about it. This is a modified Polaroid camera with a built-in combat laser. Then there were no laser pointers available to everyone and everyone, so the idea was fresh and closely echoed with fantastic blasters.

    Golden eye (1995)


    Rifle gun with a laser module





    Behind such a long and ornate definition lies a device that allows you to shoot a small anchor-hook with a rope with force, thereby driving it into stone and concrete. Then it was safe to go down the steep wall. And in which case, cut a hole in the right place with a laser beam. But it would seem that already 1995 was in the yard ...

    A device for breaking code locks



    It was very simple to use it: it was enough to place it on top of the code lock, as after a few seconds it gives the desired opening code. Ideally, unlike the gadget for opening safes.

    Miniature Camera with Wireless Communication Module









    This small digital camera was equipped with a zoom and allowed you to send the pictures taken wirelessly. By the way, the car radio could print these photos with explanatory information. And at a frequency of 87.5 FM, analysts broadcast Bond their comments on the contents of the photos.

    Rifle



    belt A thin belt line and a hook were built into a regular belt, which could be used to shoot at the ceiling and go down on the belt. We are unlikely to ever learn about the wonderful way to shoot and drive tiny hooks into concrete and stone, as well as about the technology for creating the finest ropes that can withstand a healthy twitching man.

    Tomorrow will never die (Tomorrow never dies), 1997


    Miniature Wireless Camera





    This small camera could transmit a video stream directly to MI-6 headquarters. In 1997, when broad segments of the population used pagers with might and main, it was a cool technology.

    Super-Advanced Cell Phone









    Well, it’s not a mobile phone , but a Swiss knife in the world of electronics. Yes, and with such a design. It had a built-in fingerprint scanner, allowing you to fool security systems. Bond could also drive his car directly from the phone. In addition, the phone could be used to break locks. And finally, it had a built-in stun gun that issued 2000 volts. And all this beauty in 1997.

    GPS module



    This is now a smartphone with GPS lies in every pocket. And then it was a top-secret device capable of transmitting and receiving signals from GPS satellites to control ships.

    Bracelet for a snooker







    A fairly simple device that acts like the other gadgets for a snooker mentioned: a hook shoots into a suitable object, drives into it - and you're done, you can go down the rope, uiiiiii!

    And the whole world is not enough (The world is not enough), 1999


    X-ray glasses





    But not only Soviet children dreamed of a pipe dream! Kids grew up and realized their dreams at a new technological level. In this film, Bond got x-ray glasses that allowed him to see what is under people’s clothes.

    Inflatable jacket-sphere An





    ordinary-looking jacket can instantly inflate and turn into a sphere that protects the Bond from the hardships of the surrounding world.

    A master key in a credit card



    This is also a tool rather than a gadget. Now, without problems, you can buy sets of master keys, laser-cut in a steel plate the size of a credit card. But the bottom line is that the master key is hidden inside the credit card. Although the striking junction of the card parts ruins the whole idea of ​​a secret tool.

    Die, but not now (Die another day), 2002


    A knife with an integrated satellite beacon



    A miniature folding antenna and a transmitter capable of finishing off a GPS satellite were built into the handle of a conventional military knife. Weak power for such a narrow signal.

    Virtual reality simulator



    Although not a gadget, but a large stationary installation, but it is impossible not to mention this. Still, a virtual reality simulator, it’s not for you to get down on a cable. By the way, the simulator was used to trap villains who believed in the reality of what they see.

    Sound ring



    A wonderful gadget that allows you to break even bulletproof glass with a powerful pulse of ultrasound. Even so, but the question is different: why doesn’t it tear the rings to pieces?

    Invisible



    car A car covered with so-called adaptive camouflage. The image from small cameras located on one side is transmitted to the polymer plastic on the other side of the car. I wonder where the shadow disappears.

    Casino Royale, 2006


    A hypodermic chip for tracking







    With the help of a large frightening pistol, Bond was driven into his hand a microchip that collected all kinds of information: his movements, pulse, blood pressure, respiration, etc. The data was read when Bond placed his hand with a chip inside the scanning frame, and the scanner itself was placed in a small suitcase. On the screen, you could immediately see all the statistics.

    Quantum of Solace (2008)


    Table and wall in the form of displays







    Many people are waiting for the appearance of such devices at an affordable price. We are talking about surfaces, which are a huge touch screen that allows you to work with information in the most natural way for a person - doing all the actions with your hands, as if with real objects: “shift” photos, enlarge images, cut and paste fragments, etc.

    New Superphone







    Another wonderful phone ahead of its time. Bond photographed a group of people with him with zoom, and the firmware could recognize their identities even when shooting from the most inconceivable angles and at a great distance. We shake hands with the ingenious developers of iron and software for this amazing gadget.

    * * *
    This concludes our review, which turned out to be extremely voluminous. Here we included the vast majority of gadgets that Agent 007 used. By the way, in general, Bondiana is increasingly leaning towards militants, rather than spy stories with curious gadgets. It is possible that in a couple of films, James Bond will completely switch to standard serial samples. But it will already be a completely different Bond.

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